1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of processing a substrate and an apparatus for processing a substrate such that a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate for an LCD, is subjected to a cleaning process or a development process.
2. Description of the Related Art
When an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display Device) is manufactured, a so-called lithography process is employed in order to form a resist film pattern on the upper surface of a glass substrate. The lithography process includes various processes, such as cleaning of a substrate, applying a resist film on the surface of the substrate, exposing the applied resist film to light and developing the same. Among the foregoing processes in the lithography process, the development process is one of processes that must be severely controlled. In the development process, it is an important fact that developer must uniformly be supplied to the upper surface of the applied resist so as to uniformly develop the applied resist on the overall surface of the substrate.
As a general rule, novolac resin is employed as the resist for use in the development process, and tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solution is, as the developer, employed in which 2.38 wt % of TMAH is dissolved in water. The foregoing water-soluble developer cannot easily wet a water-repellent resist film. Thus, the developer is shed by the resist film. Therefore, the developer cannot easily be spread uniformly on the overall surface of the resist film, thus resulting in portions, on which the developer is retained in a large quantity, and portions, on which the developer is retained in a small quantity, being realized. As a result, development results in non-uniform state.
If the resist film applied with the developer is allowed to stand, fitting between the resist film and the developer is unsatisfactory, thus resulting in bubbles being generated in the developer. The portion, in which bubbles have been generated, results in insufficient development being taken place. Thus, a so-called defective development is carried out.
If the cleaning process is performed such that the substrate, which is being spun, is cleaned with a brush while putting cleaning solution, such as pure water, the cleaning solution splashes to the portion around the substrate. Thus, there arises a problem in that the spin chuck and a portion in the vicinity of the same are contaminated.